The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-04-14
A Riot in the Mexican Capital.

A Riot in the Mexican Capital.
now DISAPPOINTED DoNs AvENGE THEM
| SELVES WHEN BULL-FlGHTS ARE NOT UP TO
THE MARK. ''SOCIETY EVENT. WHICH
| CAME TO GRIEF. WILD SCENES IN THE
| PLAZA DE TOKROS.
Correspondence of the Journal
MEXICO, March, 1887. The dispatches of
the Associated Press have briefly alluded to a
bull-fghting riot, which occurred in the City of
Mexico not many days ago; but few ut the
North can form any conception of what Mex
lean riot really is-what maddened, bowling,
unmanageable mob may be raised here on slight
| provocation. TO give you an idea of the eX-
citability of these people and the unreasonable
things they are prone to do, let me tell you
what transpired at the bull-fght in question.
was not present myself but have the partcu-
lars from an American gentleman who Witness
| cd the wild scene.
The occurrence was by no means Il rare one
| in Mexico, but so common riots in the bull
| fighting arena, with which every Mexican city
| is provided, as to occasion little comment here
Indeed, SO confidently are they expected, quite
| as a matter of course, that detachment of SOL
| diers, furnished by the government, are espec-
tally detailed to attend every performance, in
every plaza de torros in Mexico, to ''keep the
peace so far AS possible. The dsturbcrs are
generally of the middle and lower classes, who
are persistent frequenters of the arena The
educated Mexican of the upper social strata
| in whom Spanish blood always predomnates-
will tell you that the sight of gore stirs within
inherited from their Aztec ancestors. In my
opinion the fault is rather with the Castilian
element in this mixed ace,-for a nation, such
as Spain, which to this day delights in the cruel
and cowardly sports of the arena must possess
more savage instincts than ever did the peace
full AZtecs before the Spaniards found them.
MEXICAN PLAZAS DE TORRoS
are exceedingly primitive structures, general
ly huge circle of adobe, ten or twelve feet
high covered outside with plaster tinted sky
blue. strawberry red. or pale yellow. The cen
tral arena is surrounded by a wall Of boards
of unhewn logs. just high enough to prevent
the enraged animals from leaping over among
the spectators. Above this inner wall the seats
arise, tier upon tier, to the roof = or rather to
the scanty awning which serves to partially
protect spectators from the broiling sun. l'>l-
ally the seats are rough boards, set up insecure
ly on stills. with broad, patformed space be-
low them reserved for the aristocracy whose
servants bring private chairs for their masters
and mi>tres>c>.
At one side an elevated stall for the mana
gers or Judges is partitioncd Off. and directly
opposite is similar one for the music while
the seats upon either side of the latterare filled
with government troops with their swords and
loaded rifles. Under the judges stand narrow
pas a>>ayc-way. securely walled, communicates
from the arena to the outer pen, where the
bulls are confined until admitted, one by one.
to meet the foe.
Many plaza> de torros are not nearly so fine
as those above described. | have seen num-
Der dixie that at Monterey, for eNample.) whose
outer walls are composed of fraii stalks of wild
bamboo. tliatched for Il little space aroun, the
edges with dried grass, lin which scorpions.
ccntipccs. vipcr> and other vicious creatures
love to breed and drop down upon you) while
the seats are slender unhcwn lo=s bound to-
g'lieI with ropes.
The Plaza de San Rafael, near the Mexican
capital, is decidedly more swell than the aver
age. actually having boxes and reserved seats
1t strikes stranger in Mexico as rather gro
tcsquc, not to say >aeriIesious. that even bull
rings should be pioIsy named after the Saints
but he soon becomes accustomed, to such inron-
gruities rs Il hay-market in the Body of Christ
street. the wine-shop of the Holy Ghost. the
dancn"-hall of the "Crown of Thorn>," the
Casino of the immaculate Conception. and the
buIl-pen Of the Blessed Virgin : all of which,
and many more equally startling in nomencla-
ture. may he found in this funny country.
The most famous bu-ti-hter i'm all Central
America is
SENIOR DON ANTONIO MAZZANTINI.
50 great is his fame that at every FNnctjnn de
I"rr"S in which he is to appear, the most cN-
orbltant prices are charged. At the fight in
question the lowest seats and standing room
sold for eight dollars each and upwards. while
the reserved chairs and boxes were i'm great de-
mand at incredible figures. Don Mazzantini
was performing under the auspices of Puebla
company = and, by the way, that historic city
~ tlt * nnW fo.
nous for the best bull-iyht> to be found in the
Republic. MazZantini's debut in the Mexican
Capital had been immensely ''boome,i" in adj
vance, with the view of making it a social
event. second only in brilliancy and Importance
| to PATHS recent triumphs here.
| On the Wednesday of the performance every
avenue leading from the Capital toward the
| plaza was crowded with carriages. That FASH
| ionabc boulevard called the PaSeo dc la Re-
| forma tlaii ont hy Emperor MaNimilian) Mex
| ico'> Broadway : the magnificent Gale ,e san
| Francisco. lined with palaces - the avenue tie
| JuareZ, and other streets were literally packed
| with crowded horse-carS, hacks and eager ped
e>trians. = all moving toward the same goal.
| troops We're stationed, on foot and horse, all
| with loaded RemngtonS at their backs and bay
oneted rifles in their hands; while the fierce,
| sandal-shod ''Ruraes" dashed about on their
>crubby little broncho>, ready with swords and
pistols TOR any emergency. Around each en-
| trance to the plaza stood a Gordon of soldiers
with drawn bayonetS, and others upon horses
| hurried hither and thither among the carriages.
| valniy cndeavorin@ to keep the avenues open.
| Long before two p. NJ. the great amphithcatre
was crowded to its utmost, thousands being
present. including a large number of ladies' and
| the wealth, beauty, elegance and fashion of the
gay metropolis. There We're two splcnlidly
| equipped military bands, which are reckoned
| among the finest in the world, and evervW here
>treamers, flags and banners waved. Over the
| stalls of the managers and the musicians tloatcd
| the national red, white and green, with the
| colors of other countries interviewer with the
| Mexican embems and escutcheon; and when
| the two bands struck up together the Sou-stir-
| ring national anthem,
| 'MEXICANOS, AL CRITIC DE GUERRA"
the enthusiasm was intescribable Fora calm
| tempered NOrtherner, sitting peacefully in his
quiet home it is impossible to form any idea of
| the fever-heat of excitement which may pos
| SesS a crowd like this, in the tropics where AS
the heated earth. the human clay is knded'
The blood of these passionate and unstable
| .NcfirunOS was already boiling with undisci-
! plineh fervor,- as liable to bubble over in one
! direction AS another,-to pct the actor with
roses and diamonds and to pull his carriage
themselves through the city streets (a> they
| lately served Patti, or to demand his death if
| disappointed in him. Such, | fancy, must have
been the popular pulse when GIa,iator> fought
III the Colosseum in days of Nero, and Roman
DANES of high degree enjoyed the scenes of
| butchery.
| When MaZZantin skipped into the arena
| gorgeouSly robcd in green and gold, his breast
| blazing with jeweled decorations and a thous-
| and little balls dancing all over him q Ia Cas-
| tianO, amid the crash of bands, the still more
dcafenin" paudt> of the people and shower
| of bouquets raned upon him from all sides,
| nobody could have guessed what was soon to
| follow. Now came in half Il dozen mounted
| picddors, in much bcspangled Spanish jackets
| thd khee-breeches, mounted upon strong Young
horses, each picador carrying his only weapon,
offensive and defensivc-a long. stout pole. tip
| ped with a sharp iron spear. Then the bul
| was let ina heavy, dark one-and the intrepid
| MaZZantini received him with flourish of scar
| let cloak, while cheers from twenty thousand
| throats actual. shook the solid walls and hun
| orcds of hats and purses We're pitched reckless
| ly into the arena by their excited owners. Nat
| uralIy tie bull was greatly bewil,lered by all
| this rl:mor. and whatever fight may have been
| in him was lost apparently in astoni>hment and
| diSmay. lie stood perfectly still in the center
| of the arena, gazing about with frightened,
eyes, until a,imonisled by sharp prick in the
ribs from the spear of a picador, hen he turn
ell clunsily - not quick enough, however, to
reach his tormentor, and tossed another horse
over on his launches, continuing to gore him
| until he fell back, almost diSembO Welle,l upon
his PROSTATE rider. But the people considered
this bull not fierce enough and continued to
shout Aturra! Afurra! : ''take him awav"
Finally the lucklc>s animal, filled with wild
desire to escape, jumped the outer barrier
which circles small ring into such close quar-
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